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The Red Path
Badger Attack! That night, after Bloomstar's vigil, I dreamed that I was at Fourtrees. Mossstorm was in the center. He isn't breathing! I thought. I began to panic. I muttered a prayer to StarClan. Then Mossstorm stood. "Thank you." I whispered. Mossstorm looked confused. He looked up. His expression changed. I followed his gaze. The stars were moving. Eventually, they came closer and turned into cats. I recognized some of them. Sunfur! My heart leaped with joy. Bloomstar! Other cats rested upon the ground, such as Spottedleaf, Yellowfang, and other cats I did not know. "Welcome Mossstorm." They spoke as one, peaceful voice filling the air. "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" "Yes." Mossstorm replied. Yellowfang padded up to Mossstorm and they touched noses. "With this life I give you compassion. You know how to use it." she meowed. Suddenly, Mossstorm drew back and gritted his teeth, as if he were in pain. Then he gasped. An unknown cat took her place. "Whitebird!" Mossstorm meowed. "I've missed you so much." "With this life I give you courage. Use it well in times of need." Again, he drew back. He looked as if he was being crushed and electrocuted at the same time. "Mother still loves you. Don't blame yourself because of the past." she meowed. Spottedleaf walked up to give him his third life. "With this life I give you love, for your mate, kits, and every clan member, no matter how old." This time, his expression changed. He looked sympathetic. A small cat, much older than Mossstorm himself padded up. "My name is Silvernose. I died of greencough just before you were apprenticed. With this life I give you hope. Use it well to reassure your clan, even in the darkest night." Mossstorm's expression changed, and he looked as if he could win any battle, hunt any prey, and as if nothing could possibly go wrong. A cat smelling of herbs approached him. She must be the medicine cat, I thought. "With this life I give you defense. Use it in picking fights, don't risk spilt blood in pointless battles." He looked as if he could scream that he was on fire. "Thank you Fernheart. You have taught Skyfern well," he meowed. An apprenticed replaced the medicine cat. "Featherpaw!" Mossstorm exclaimed. "It was my fault you died." "Don't say that. You taught me well. You were still young. I was only your first apprentice," he meowed. "With this life I give you speed and tireless energy. Use it well when a member of your clan needs it most." Mossstorm looked weak. Gradually, he looked like he could run all the way back to camp. "Thank you. You training has paid off, even in StarClan." A tiny kit leaped over to greet Mossstorm. Instantly his expression turned to sadness. "Flakekit. It should have been me. Carried away by that hawk," he meowed "It's alright." Flakekit meowed. "With this life I give you peace. Use it along with hope to light up the night." Bloomstar! I thought. "With this life I give you wisdom. Use it well in mentoring young apprentices." Flames flickered in his eyes as his preceder drew away. "Remember this day. StarClan has never regretted its choice." She dipped her head and backed away. Finally, a Trish she-cat padded up to him. "Welcome my son, I always knew you'd be important one day." she touched her nose to his and announced, "With this life I give you faith and trust in yourself, your clan, and in StarClan. Remember this life, for it must become a part of you." Mossstorm looked as though he bore the burden of all other eight lives all over again, plus a new sense of peace. She stepped back. "I hail you by your new name: Mossstar. Your old life is no more. You have been granted the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan now grants you the guardianship of LeafClan. Defend it well, care for young and old, honor your ancestors and the warrior code, live each life with pride and dignity." "Mossstar! Mossstar!" StarClan chanted. I joined them. Eventually, Mossstar faded and disappeared. My dream went black. Then my pelt and the grass around me was stained with blood. I saw a cat in front of me. "I am Bluestar, a descended leader of the great forest clan, ThunderClan. I have shown you this ceremony for a reason. You are forbidden to speak of it, even to Mossstar. Use this knowledge wisely, or it will destroy you." A wave of blood crashed over me. The sky was as bright as the sun, moon, and all the stars out together. I could hear Bluestar hiss in my ear. "Remember the prophecy, for there is a second. One will stray from five and fight the tail of the killer. He will meet the Sky, River, Thunder, Shadow, and Wind to fall or raise. Blood will spill and lives will be lost, until darkness shall overcome the forest." The lake of blood swept me away. Screeching in fear, darkness began to swallow me up, calling my name. "Rabbitpaw!" I leaped awake. Birdpaw was standing over me. "Mossstorm wants you at the Sandy Hollow." . I ran my paws on his back. He threw me off. I smelled something. Badger! While I was distracted, Mossstorm threw me off. Blood roaring in my ears, I charged at the badger. Fortunately, I caught it off-guard. It turned around furiously, snapping its jaws. It finally built up the strength to throw me off. When at long last it managed to pin me, I thought it was the end. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. I could hear Mossstorm's voice ringing in my ears. "I'm a badger. I'm too big and heavy." Nevertheless, I unsheathed my hind claws, and pushed. Shockingly, the badger flew through the air, hit the side of the ravine, and landed on its flank, hard. It laid there, limp. I turned back around, and my mentor's eyes were wide. "Catch me a vole, a blackbird, and three mice," he meowed briefly after an awkward silence. Blackout I shakily stepped up to the rock. Mossstar spoke out to the clan, "Rabbitpaw has done a noble thing today. Down in the Sandy Hollow, a badger invaded our territory." The clan gasped and murmured. "Rabbitpaw ambushed it, and sent it flying. So, I believe that he deserves to be named a warrior." My eyes grew wide. A warrior? But what about Birdpaw? And my siblings... "I, Mossstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice he has trained hard to understand the way of your noble code, and I present him as a warrior is his turn. Rabbitpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect your clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do," I breathed. Mossstar smiled. "Then by the powers of StarClan I present to you your warrior name. Rabbitpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Rabbitstorm. StarClan honors your courage and everlasting strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan." I gazed at the clan. I seemed so big. "Rabbitstorm! Rabbitstorm! Rabbitstorm! Rabbitstorm!" . One night later, I moved into Curltail's old nest, for he had recently moved to a senior warrior's spot. Promising myself I'd gather moss later, I curled up and feel asleep. I dreamed of a cat with a pelt bright as flames. He was sitting next to an older cat, starring up at the stars. The flame-colored cat spoke up. "You wished to see me?" "Yes," the old cat meowed."You have built the lost clan. For this-" The dream shifted and I saw a cat with a crooked jaw standing before me. "This is not your prophecy. You will learn it soon enough. I am Crookedstar, leader of the Great forest clan, RiverClan, the clan that is the living RippleClan. It is a bit odd for a different claned cat to be a guardian, but since Bluestar was the last to die, she has the highest power. I will be your guardian. I will come to you in dark times." I woke up to Lightningstrike nudging me. "Mossstar wants you in his den." Again? I thought. As I approached his den, Skyfern's apprentice, Mintpaw, walked out with herbs in her mouth. I began to grow worried. "Rabbitstorm?" Mossstar meowed. "Come in." As I passed through the leaves, I noticed Mossstar looked weak. "I have a little cough, but don't worry. I've called you in here because I trust you. I know you can keep secrets." I leaned in. "I have lost three of my lives." I gasped in horror. "How?" He shook his head. "I don't know. StarClan speaks to me after each life, but I don't remember how I died." I felt guilty. I had watched his ceremony. I should tell him, I thought. "What is it, Rabbitstorm? Is there some wrong?" "Uh, no...well...I-" I sighed. "I was there when-" Instantly, I felt a spasm of pain shoot through me. Mossstar scrambled to his paws and caught me as I fell. "Skyfern!" Second Chance I felt cold. Gradually, my pelt grew hot. Pressure and heat clawed at me. I was on fire. I felt it was the end. Claws picked me up and pressure squeezed me. Then, I fell. I hit the ground. I couldn't move. Bluestar stood in front of me as I opened my eyes. "This is a warning, Rabbitstorm. Next time, you won't be given a second chance. It will only cause you more pain. Remember the prophecy!" she spat. . I woke up in the fern tunnel. The pain and weakness still clung to me. Mintpaw walked out of the medicine cat's den with lavender in her mouth. Her eyes were coated in sorrow. When she saw me, she dropped them. She stammered, "You...you....." she gulped. "You were dead." I was confused. When I tried to get up, I tripped and fell. "Skyfern!" Mintpaw called. They tried supporting me by pressing their pelts against mine, until they gave up and carried me instead. I felt embarrassed that a warrior had to be carried back to their nest. "You've been asleep for at least a moon," Mintpaw began. "Your siblings, Birdpaw, and I have received our full names. I am now Mintfang. When I got back from the Moonstone, you were so cold! This morning you burned up. Death scent rose up from your pelt. Mossstar has been neglecting his duties, and your father has asked Thornpelt to take over his duties. Your siblings have hardly slept at all, and Birdfeather hasn't eaten. They'll be so happy." As she trailed off, my eyes began to feel heavy, and I fell asleep. Category:The Red Path